Pandora's Box
by Forensic Kitteh
Summary: A person's feelings are often like a Pandora's box. You keep them closed, everything is fine. You open them up, no one knows what will happen. R/N. Post Countermeasures, SLIGHT spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

Even pulling the trigger made a twang of pain run down Natalia's arm. There was a nice bruise on her elbow that throbbed with pain everything she moved. Not that she cared. Her index finger pulled the trigger, the sound of the gunshot resounding in her head.

Another shot.

Natalia gritted her teeth against the pain that decided to live in her arm, remembering that she had lived through worse pain before. So her arm was a little sore from hitting the inside of a trunk endlessly before she passed out. With that thought, something yanked at Natalia's strings letting a letting a few tears roll down her face.

_~o~_

_"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Nick snarled at Natalia as she hung up on the phone, carefully walking past him, but he blocked her._

_"I was on the phone." Natalia shrugged. _

_"Oh, on the phone? Really?" Nick hissed suddenly yanking Natalia's hair. "You're on the phone and I'm just waiting for my damn food?" Nick's hand struck across Natalia's cheek, tears springing to her eyes from surprise. "God, you're a useless bitch." Nick said, before pushing Natalia into the kitchen._

_~o~_

Natalia wiped away the tears that fell onto her cheeks and sighed. She hated crying. Crying was a thing that threw her into a maze of memories and worries. If she could avoid all emotion, everything would be fine.

Fight.

Flee.

Freeze.

That was how Natalia used to function. The first few times Nick got angry at her for no reason, Natalia tried to fight him off. When she realized that she much weaker than Nick was, she tried to run.

"You can run, but you can't hide." Nick used to tell her, when he would finally corner, punches and kicks hitting her.

So she was left with one option. Freeze and pretend that you weren't there.

Muffled footsteps were heard through Natalia's ear protection. "At least you're not hitting the ceiling anymore." Ryan's voice sounded behind Natalia. Natalia whipped around, and attempted to smile or at least acknowledge that he was there. "Right." Ryan sighed as Natalia turned away without a word. "Are you mad me or something?" Ryan asked.

"No." Natalia said, her voice steel plated. It was weak on the inside, but she would never show Ryan that.

"Are you okay, Nat?" Ryan asked, walking up to her. Her eyes were brimmed with tears even though she was doing her best not to shot it.

"I'm fine." Natalia said, her voice strangled. She still felt Ryan near her, observing her every more. Natalia blinked back the tears that were attempting to slide down her cheeks.

"You don't seem okay." Ryan said. "You wince every time you move your arm." Ryan stated, taking the gun carefully from Natalia's hands. "You should take a break." Ryan said.

I should finish the mag at least." Natalia muttered, attempting to take back the gun from Ryan. Ryan sighed, letting the gun out of his hands, and stepping back a few steps.

Another bullet hit the target.

"Your stance is off." Ryan said.

"Huh?" Natalia looked at Ryan, confused.

"Your stance is off." Ryan said, walking up to Natalia again such that Natalia felt Ryan's warmth envelope her. A muted sound escaped Natalia's lips as Ryan put his arms on top of Natalia's, carefully nudging her feet so that they would be on shoulder distance. "Also, you should try to relax because you're going to have a problem shooting a gun if you're as stiff as a board." Ryan said when he felt Natalia freeze up under his gentle hold.

"That's easier said that done." Natalia muttered, and Ryan chuckled.

Natalia bit her lip, realizing that she had said that out loud.

Five bullets were left in the gun, and with everyone that left the gun, Natalia felt herself crumble.

As soon as the last bullet left the gun, Natalia set her gun down, and hastily pulled off her eye protection and set it gingerly on the table, but the ear protection slipped out of her hands, clattering to the floor, Natalia not even bothering to pick it up. Natalia couldn't breath, supporting herself by holding on the table.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ryan asked carefully.

"No! No, damnit I'm not, I have no idea why I told you that I am!" Natalia snapped, sobs shaking her body.

"Nat..." Ryan said, pulling her into a hug. Natalia couldn't move. So much had happened to her the past few months and yet all she did was hide it.

"I just... I can't anymore. Just being in the trunk, trying to explain myself to Randy... it was just as though I was explaining myself to Nick after he saw me on the phone or talking to neighbors." Natalia whimpered, resting her head on Ryan's chest. Fire raced through Ryan's veins as he thought of Natalia's marriage with Nick. "I would always try to bargain with him, try to get him to change his mind, but it would always end u-" Natalia couldn't finish the sentence because another wave of tears and memories swept through her, Natalia being completely unable to speak again.

Ryan sighed. He was actually afraid of saying anything to Natalia because he was afraid that what he could say would hurt Natalia. "I'm horrible at advice, Nat-" A small smile flickered over Natalia's face. "But I'm going to say this none the less. You're a fighter, but you fight yourself. You think that having emotions like a normal being is a weakness and you keep to yourself." Ryan said and Natalia sighed. "I hate seeing you like this. I hate knowing that you're not fine. I hate not being able to help you because you won't let me." Ryan sighed, having no idea what to say now. A few quiet moments passed, Natalia still in Ryan's arms.

"Thanks, really." Natalia said finally, looking up at Ryan.

Ryan frowned. "For what?" Ryan asked, and Natalia rolled her eyes, laughing. "Oh. Well, what are friends for?" Ryan asked, and Natalia shrugged.

"I should get going." Natalia said, smiling. Before Natalia was able to turn around, she felt Ryan lips against her. But she couldn't fight it. It didn't feel intrusive, it felt strangely natural, like it was supposed to have happened a long time ago but it fell into a forgotten drawer.

Natalia pulled away from the kiss, blushing. Ryan cleared his throat, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "I don't think that you should drive with that arm. Could I offer you a ride home?" Ryan asked, and Natalia chuckled, smiling.

"Yeah you could, and I'd accept it." Natalia grinned.

The ride to Natalia's house was silent. Whether it was because the kiss had dumbfounded both of them such that they couldn't speak, or it was because neither of them wanted to speak, they didn't know.

Natalia smiled as Ryan walked her to doorstep of her house. Nothing bothered her. "Are you going to be okay?" Ryan asked, standing close to Natalia.

Natalia smirked. "Yeah. I hope." Natalia bit her lip.

"Good. Good night, Nat." Ryan said. "And take care of that arm." Ryan said, walking back towards his car, leaving Natalia there.

~o~

**...oh geez. I wonder how many roadblocks I had in this fic.**

**Right. REVIEWS BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS POSTING ANY R/N FICS FOR 10.01 AND I AM. REVIEW ME.**

**I had too much coffee.**

**There's going to be another chapter, based _kinda _of 10.03.**

**and then I still want to write a 10.02 fic...and something with the locker room scene...**

**:)  
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	2. Chapter 2

Natalia was standing outside of Ryan's hospital room, too many thoughts flooding her head to pull them apart. She didn't dare to go in the room, something kept her outside. She didn't know whether it was because she wasn't quite ready to admit her feelings, and well...it was just too complicated for Natalia to deal with it at the moment.

"You should go in, honey." A familiar voice sounded next to Natalia. Natalia whipped around, speechless. Alexx was behind her. "He'd appreciate it." She said, and Natalia sighed.  
>""Alexx, is he going to be okay?" Natalia asked, avoiding the question. Alexx frowned.<p>

"Had a concussion, and multitude of cuts, but he'll be fine." Alexx said, still looking at Natalia.

"Alexx, I'd go in if..." Natalia sighed. "If..." Natalia couldn't quite explain what was going on in her head at the moment.

"You're not arguing again, are you?" Alexx asked, and Natalia laughed.

"If I told you that it was more complicated than that, would you believe me?" Natalia asked, and Alexx smirked.

"Yeah, I would, baby. I would believe anything from you being pregnant with his child to you two hating each others guts again because something happened. Hopefully it's somewhere in the middle, because I'm not sure how to deal with either extremes." Alexx said, and Natalia blushed.

"Yeah, it's somewhere in the middle." Natalia sighed.

"Look, Nat, it was and always will be complicated between you. No exceptions. While complicated-ness hasn't hurt anyone yet, the fact that people can't deal with it has." Alexx said.

"I don't see your point..." Natalia said quietly. Alexx smirked.

"My point is, if it's even a point, is that he loves you. That's the only reason things have ever been complicated between you two." Alexx said. Natalia opened her mouth to say something, but that something decided to not be said. "Think about it. Think about everything that's been between you two." Natalia sighed. "I'll leave you to think." Alexx said, her footsteps receding.

"BV!" Walter exclaimed and Natalia jumped. "Sorry to scare you, but what do you know about Wolfe's condition?" Walter asked, not even being able to catch his breath.

"Yeah. He's going to be okay. Just a concussion." Natalia said, and Walter frowned. "What happened to you two there?" Natalia asked, and Walter sighed.

"The tornado touched down on the scene and Ryan got swallowed up in the storm." Walter sighed. "I'll see you around, Natalia." Walter said, and went into the hospital room.

-x-

"Hey, um, did you hear that you got an accommodation after Ryan gave Horatio his statement?" Natalia asked, coming into the lab where Walter was examining the satellite dish.

"Ryan doesn't even know..." Walter sighed, not looking at Ryan.

"Ryan doesn't know what?" Natalia asked. Walter looked guilty but he didn't look like was going to share with Natalia. "Walter?" Natalia frowned, looking at Walter.

"Never mind." Walter sighed.

"Okay." Natalia said meekly.

-x-

"Oh. You're alive and well." Natalia smirked, once she saw Ryan in the locker room. "Finally tell him what you were hiding, Walter?" Natalia asked, and Walter glared at her.

"Yeah. I did." Walter said.

Ryan stared at Natalia so thoroughly that she felt goose bumps spread across her arms. "What?" Natalia asked, looking at Ryan, half smiling. Ryan snapped out of the stare and frowned.

"I don't care what I'm missing out of here, so I'll just get going now." Walter said, getting up. "Get well, man." He said. He no longer felt horrible about letting go of the Christmas lights, and he could go home with a clear soul.

"Okay, now to answer your question, I was just wondering why you look so different from this morning." Ryan said, and Natalia smirked.

"It's not important." Natalia smiled. "You sure you're okay?" Natalia asked, and Ryan frowned, not answering. "Of course you're not going to answer the question, but that's just you." Natalia said, and Ryan turned around, shaking his head.

"Sorry, it's just, I'm spacing out, wondering what would've happened if..." Ryan trailed off, staring at his locker.

"Ryan-" Natalia said, putting her hand gently on his arm. "Sorry that you had to go through that." Natalia said, and Ryan smiled.

"We should talk." Ryan said, and Natalia bit her lip.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we should." Natalia blushed. "Look, you don't look like you're in a great driving condition, and I still owe you one-" Ryan chuckled. "So, if you let me give you a ride home, maybe we could talk." Natalia said.

-x-

"Are we going to talk, or not?" Natalia asked Ryan before he disappeared into his house. "Ryan-" Natalia said. "I'm not going to let you off without even the slightest explanation." Natalia sighed.

"Look, today, when I was barely holding onto that string of lights I was thinking off what happened between us two in the gun range..." Ryan trailed off again. Natalia looked at him, pushing him on into explaining. Ryan sighed. "I love you, and I didn't want to die without you knowing that." Ryan ran his hand through his hair, and Natalia grinned. "Okay, just... why aren't you..." Ryan frowned.

"Why am I not, what running off screaming because you admitted to me that you love me?" Natalia asked. "Ryan, if I didn't know that, and feel the same way about you, you do realize that I would've slapped you in the gun lab." Natalia smiled. Ryan still stared at Natalia a headache beginning to pulse through his head.

"...And I am just going to pretend that makes perfect sense to me." Ryan said.

"What isn't making any sense to you?" Natalia sighed. "You don't believe me or...?" Natalia asked, and Ryan chuckled.

"No, it's more like I don't believe how absolutely strange our friendship is." Ryan said, and now it was Natalia's turn to laugh. "I actually thought you would beat the living light out of me." Ryan smiled, wrapping his arms around Natalia's waist carefully.

"I wouldn't do that." Natalia paused looking at Ryan who was looking at her with a doubtful look. "Really." Natalia said, and before Ryan pulled her into a kiss. Natalia's hands ran behind Ryan's neck, his fingers entangled in her brown curls. Suddenly Ryan pulled back, wincing.

"Sorry, Ryan-" Natalia blushed, realizing that she had accidentally ran over a wound from yesterday.

"No harm, no foul, Nat." Ryan said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to come in for some coffee?" Ryan asked, and Natalia bit her lip again. "I mean, what more harm can it do?" Ryan said, and then saw Natalia's expression, but Natalia only laughed.

"That was _horribly _phrased, Ryan." Natalia said. But Ryan's questioning look made her think twice about the question. "Sure, why not." Natalia said, and Ryan's smile only grew. "I mean, you already said it, what more harm can it do?" Natalia mocked her friend, before she entered his house.

-x-

**Yes. This is the very unsurprising ending to Pandora's Box. Hope that it satisfied most of you while I try to still figure out a title for this tornado based fic(and die).**

**Would anyone like to help me out? Or just review?**

**~Forensic, Slinky, and Rain. :)  
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